Neuer Lehrstuhl an den Deutschen Universitäten(New Chair to the German Universities)

Appeared:

August 31, 1933

Prague, Czechoslovakia

Curator's Comment:

Heartfield mocks the finding that only a Aryan’s corn has a “profound view” with the ability to “see the future.”

A translation of the text (see below) in the photomontage is a satiric critique of the university finding that only corns on pure German feet have fortune-telling ability.

Many academics were willing to go along with the Nazis after they gained power. Hitler’s asserted that human history was a biologically determined struggle between races. The Aryan was inherently superior. In 1931, The SS was empowered to conduct racial research. Völkisch (of the people) had racial, national, and anti-Semitic connotations.

A loose translation of the German text in this montage reads:

“NEW CHAIR TO THE GERMAN UNIVERSITIESA RESEARCH OF THE PEOPLE

A Professor Vitlawopsky of the University of Heidelberg has found that the menchliche corn, however, is the only Germanic empowered to look into the future. After the announcement of the brilliant researcher, Hitler immediately transferred of 1300 corns operators (podiatrists) into concentration camps.”

"Original photograph from the Teutonic backwoods by John Heartfield” is Jonny's unusual credit.